The Foothills Hideaway
by sparkles04
Summary: Ashley, Spencer and a mountain. (I hate writing these things, just read it! Please :) )
1. Chapter 1

_**Just a little short story. I hope you enjoy! :)**_

_**I don't own the characters.**_

* * *

_**Chapter 1**_

Her hair was up in a ponytail, loose pieces were blowing in the slight breeze, she tucked them behind her ear. The sweat on her brow trickled down the side of her face; she wiped it with her forearm and sighed. Her plaid shirt was tucked into her loose and torn blue jeans, the sleeves rolled up a quarter of the way. The top three buttons undone, showing the white tank top underneath.

I admired her from behind as she slowly climbed up the ladder. She steadied herself as she took a few nails out of the small pouch on her tool belt and placed them between her teeth. Quickly and fluently, she hammered the nails into the wooden beam. She climbed down the ladder, moved it a few steps to the side and repeated the process.

I sat there on the porch swing, rocking slightly, pretending to read.

She knew I was watching her; I'd been doing it for the past month. It had been the third time in a week that I had called her. I was running out of things to have her fix.

"Alright, all fixed. I'll come back in the morning to re-paint it," she said as she wiped her brow again. I helped her carry the ladder back to her truck even though she insisted she didn't need help. She returned to the porch to grab her tool box, and before she could say goodbye I did something I had been meaning to do for weeks.

"Would you like a glass of lemonade, or tea, I could make some iced-tea?" I wasn't normally nervous around her, but the thought of actually sitting down and having a conversation with her, the first since the day we had met, was exciting, but scary at the same time. It was obvious I was attracted to her, a little too attracted for my liking. I was leaving in a week, after all.

"I would love a glass of lemonade, thank you." She smiled and her nose crinkled. I couldn't help, but stare. This woman was unlike anyone I had ever met. She was quiet, but when she did speak she always had something witty and interesting to say. She was mysterious and she was beautiful, but she didn't know it, or she did, but she wasn't comfortable with it. She was all alone up on the mountain, and she seemed perfectly okay with that.

She set her tool box down and removed her tool belt before following me into the house. Luckily the air conditioner was working; she had just fixed it over the weekend when the temperature crept up into the mid 90's.

"Make yourself comfortable. I'll go get that lemonade."

I walked quickly into the kitchen, needing a moment to collect myself. It was getting harder and harder every time she was in close proximity to me. The cold water was a relief as I leaned over the sink and splashed some in my face. The heat was unbearable, but the woman in the other room was the reason for the sudden fire that just consumed my body.

After taking a considerable amount of time in the kitchen I finally made my way back to her. I froze in my tracks and momentarily contemplated walking, no, running back into the kitchen. She was facing the other way, her flannel shirt was lying on the back of the sofa, and there she stood in just her white tank top with her arms up as she re-adjusted her ponytail. The bottom of the tank slid up just enough to show the skin on her lower back and I was thankful that she was facing the other direction because I could not stop raking my eyes over the curves of her backside.

"Sorry it took so long," I said, finally finding my voice. I was never nervous, or shy around a woman, but Ashley brought out the awkward, teenage girl in me. I shook my head at myself.

"It's okay," she replied with a smile as she turned around. I looked down as I set the tray on the table, needing to look anywhere, but at her.

We both sat and I handed her a glass, our fingers just barely touching, but you couldn't tell by the way I reacted.

"Are you okay, Spencer?" She asked.

"Yeah, I… I'm fine."

I could see her smile behind the glass as she took a sip. Oh yes, she knew how I watched her, how I admired her perfect body, how I had been finding every reason to get her to come to the cabin. She knew. Of course, she said nothing. I wasn't sure if it was because she was shy and didn't quite know how to respond to my little infatuation, or because she wasn't interested. Either way, she knew.

"So, how much longer do you plan on staying up here?" She asked before taking another sip of her lemonade.

"I haven't decided," I lied. Yes, I had planned on leaving at the end of the week, but I wasn't sure I would be able to. I had become accustomed to the quietness, the feeling of complete peace, no contact from the outside world, no expectations, and no responsibilities. Just me, the mountain… and Ashley.

"You like it up here, huh?"

"I do. It's so serene, so many amazing views." Like the woman sitting in front of me.

"Do you mind if I ask why you came here?"

"I don't mind that you asked, but I don't plan on answering." I set my glass down and leaned back.

"I didn't think you would," she said. Her eyes boring into mine.

"It's not really that big of a deal. I would just rather not talk about it at the moment."

"I can respect that."

"So how long have you been up here?" I asked her.

"Three years."

"So you like it up here, huh?"

"I do. It's so serene, so many amazing views," she said with a playful smile. I returned it.

"Would you ever consider leaving, going back to the city?" I asked her. I felt the need to learn everything I could about her, if she would let me.

"I don't know. This is my home right now and I love it here." She stood up and walked over window. "The world is a much better place here. You see the beauty in everything because there is nothing around to tell you different. Up here… it's just you and the ground and the sky."

She turned around and the look on her face was almost a sad one.

"Do you know what I mean?" She asked.

"I've only been here for a month and I know exactly what you mean, Ashley."

She seemed to be satisfied with my answer. She sat back down and lifted her glass of lemonade to her lips. I watched her closely wondering what was really going on in that head of hers.

"And you never get lonely?" I asked when she stayed silent.

"Nah, there's almost always someone staying in one of the cabins, though I don't usually socialize with them. This is the most I've talked to a renter."

"Why's that?"

"Most people that come up here don't want to be bothered."

"No, I guess not." I, too, came up here to be left alone. I never expected to want anyone's company.

"Well, I should get going. I've got some things to take care of." She stood up and grabbed her shirt. I inwardly pouted.

"Thank you for the lemonade," she said sweetly as she walked towards the door.

"You're welcome."

I was disappointed that she had to leave. I faked a smile when she looked back at me before she walked down the steps.

A few hours later, I was surprised by a knock on the door. There was only one other person besides me up on the mountain, so I smiled from ear to ear, and then ran into the bathroom to fix my 'I just woke up from a nap' hair.

"Hey," I said, completely failing at trying to not sound excited.

"Hi. I was just wondering if you wanted to take a walk with me and Hershey."

She moved to the side to show the chocolate lab sitting behind her.

"That sounds…lovely. Just give me a minute."

She smiled and nodded. "I'll just wait out here."

Once again, I had to collect myself. I was in the bathroom and talking to myself in the mirror.

"Lovely? Really, Spencer?" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "It's just a walk. Get it together. Geez!"

I opened my door, finally ready, to such an adorable sight. Ashley sat on a log that was in front of the porch. Hershey had his back into her front with his head tilted back, licking her cheek, as she scratched the inside of his neck. The most adorable part was the way she was talking to him. I smiled to myself. Seeing this side of her made my attraction grow.

"So where are we walking to?" I asked as we started down a dirt path.

"You'll see," was all she said.

We walked for about 45 minutes. Conversation was light. Mostly I just took in the beauty I was enveloped in…and the woman walking slightly in front of me.

She wore her usual torn blue jeans, a white t-shirt and her messy hair was down, but held in a ponytail and covered with a weathered, brown cowboy hat. She looked extraordinary for someone who looked like they were trying to look plain. Maybe it was just me, but she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

I was beginning to tire. I hadn't had much exercise since I arrived at the cabin.

"It's not too much further," she said, no doubt noticing my panting. Even Hershey wasn't panting like I was. I had a feeling the two of them did this a lot. The path we were on was narrow, 5 feet wide, maybe. One wrong move to the left and you would fall off the side of the mountain. The drop wasn't long, but with the trees and rocks, you'd most likely be dead. I gulped as I looked over the side.

"Maybe I should have told you…don't look down." She giggled.

"If I knew you were bringing me out here to kill me, I would've stayed at the cabin."

She laughed and it was the cutest laugh I think I had ever heard.

"I'm not trying to kill you, Spencer. Trust me, the risk is worth it."

We reached a small hill and I could hear the unmistakable sound of water falling.

"It's just over this hill. Come on." She held out her hand and I took it. Hershey took off in another direction, but Ashley didn't look worried.

Finally up on top of the hill, I brushed my legs off and looked around. My eyes opened wide when I saw the water fall. It was about 30 feet high, clear water falling onto a small platform before pouring into the pool underneath. Ivy and moss covered the mountain on both sides. The pool was rather large and had a small opening at the tip where the water ran into a narrow, rock filled, river.

"Another amazing view for you to enjoy," Ashley said from behind me…close behind me. I shivered, maybe from her closeness, maybe from the sight of the most beautiful waterfall I'd ever seen in person, maybe from both.

"Wow!" Was the only word I could form.

She held her hand out again and I slid mine into it, letting her pull me towards the water fall. She sat down on the edge of the pool, took off her boots and socks, rolled her pant legs up and put her feet in the water.

I followed suit and she reached into her bag and pulled out a few bottled waters. It was so peaceful; I closed my eyes and leaned back on my arms.

My eyes couldn't have been shut for more than a minute when I heard something running towards us and opened my eyes just before we were both splashed. Hershey came out of nowhere, jumped into the pool and started swimming around like he owned the place.

Ashley laughed again at my surprise.

"Where did he come from?"

"There's another way here, a longer way. I don't why, but sometimes he likes the longer way."

"Looks like he enjoys it here."

"He loves the water. He only swims for a short while and then he'll find a rock to sunbathe on."

"The water does looking refreshing. You think he'll mind if I join him?" I asked. I stood up and pulled my shirt off over my head and pulled my shorts down my legs. I looked over at Ashley and couldn't help but smirk. Her mouth was wide open.

"You should come in, too," I said as I leaned down, put my finger under her chin and shut her mouth for her.

Before she could answer I jumped into the water. As hot as I was, the water felt ice cold. I made my way up to the surface. Ashley sat there in the same spot, smiling at me.

"Cold, huh?" She asked.

"Just a little. Aren't you coming in?"

"Maybe."

"Aww, you're not afraid of a little cold water, are you?" I teased.

"No," she replied quietly.

"Then come on in."

She didn't say anything; she just looked off to the waterfall. This wasn't the first time Ashley had avoided a question or ignored a request. She had been up on the mountain by herself for years and I wondered if that was the reason for her being so quiet. She wasn't used to having to socialize.

I swam up to her and leaned my arms onto the edge.

"You don't want to swim with me?"

She looked down at me and gave me a small smile.

"I do, actually."

"Then what's the problem?"

"There isn't usually anyone here with me, except for Hershey."

"I'm the first person you have brought here?"

"Yes, like I said, I don't usually talk to the renters."

"Okay, but you talk to me and you brought me here, so come in here with me."

She took a deep breath.

"What's wrong, Ashley?"

"Can you… look the other way?" She asked quietly.

"What?"

"So I can undress, please."

"Ohhhh. Um… sure."

I turned around, still holding on to the edge.

"I would have never thought of you as being shy. Quiet, but not shy."

"There's a lot you don't know about me."

I heard her drop into the water so I turned around.

"We should change that," I said. We were close, so close I could feel her breath on my face.

I was about to try something very bold when I was once again splashed with water. Hershey was now out of the water, right next to us, shaking off.

Ashley swam off towards the waterfall and I looked over at Hershey. "I don't know if I should thank you, or be mad at you. What do you think?"

He responded by licking my face. "Hmmm. A mystery just like your momma."

We stayed at the waterfall for a good couple hours, swimming around, jumping off the rocks, playing with Hershey. As I was throwing a tennis ball into the water for the chocolate lab, I noticed that Ashley disappeared. Moments later I found her. She was standing underneath the waterfall. Her hair was down, as she ran her fingers through it. The water fell down all around her and cascaded down her body. She was wearing light pink underwear and a black bra. All I could think of was how much I wished I were standing behind her, holding her, kissing her neck, running my hands over her wet skin. I could not look away. I don't know how long I was staring when she finally caught me. She gave me a look, not a mad look, but not a happy look either, and then she dove into the water. I let go of the breath I was holding as Hershey dropped the wet ball into my lap. When I found her again, she was pulling her shirt over her head. I hoped I hadn't made her uncomfortable.

The sun was starting to go down and Ashley was worried about getting back to the cabin before it was fully dark. I dried off and dressed as quick as possible. I noticed her staring this time and when I looked up she turned around.

"It's okay, Ashley. I'm not shy, not in the least." I giggled.

She didn't say anything. I sighed to myself.

As we headed down the path, the sun was behind the trees.

"I lost track of time. We should have left at least a half hour ago."

"Do you think we'll make it back in time?"

"Yeah, we just have to hurry."

"You wouldn't happen to have a flashlight in the backpack, would ya?"

"Of course, I have everything in this thing. You have to be prepared when in the mountains."

"Any food in there?"

"Yes, a few granola bars, but you can't have one. They're only for emergencies."

"I'm starving. I can't wait," I whined.

"How about I cook you dinner when we get back?" She asked without looking at me.

"Okay, I can wait." I didn't miss the smile that quickly formed on her mouth.

We were about half way back, just enough light for us to still be able to see without a flashlight. I was getting tired and started to lag behind.

"We have to hurry, Spencer. Do you need me to carry you?"

"Could you carry me?"

"I guess if I had to."

"What is that? There's something coming this way." I saw a figure coming at us, but I couldn't tell what it was. It looked like it was running.

"I think that's… a bear. Stand off to the side and he'll just run past us."

"A bear? Seriously?!"

"There are only black bears up here. It'll leave us alone if we leave it alone. Come away from the edge and stand next to me."

As it got closer I got nervous. I took a few steps back, one too many.

"Spencer?!" Ashley shouted. It sounded like she was a million miles away.

"Spencer, where are you?"

Everything happened so fast.

I slipped off of the path and was holding on to the side of the mountain by a tree root. My left foot was just barely resting on a rock that was sticking out. It was still light enough to see, but it wouldn't be for long. I don't know how I managed to grab the root, both sides of the root were inside the mountain, but it was slowly coming out of the dirt and I prayed that it didn't have an end to it.

"Ashley?!" I cried out in panic.

I looked down. Oh shit. Why did I look down?

"I'm right here, just hold on," Ashley said calmly. I looked up at her and I'm sure she saw the sheer fear in my eyes.

"I'm gonna fall! Ashley, help me, please help me!"

"Hold on… as tight as you can. I have to get something out of my bag. Just hold on. I'm not going anywhere."

I heard her rummaging through her bag and then a few clicks.

She hung her head over the edge.

"You're going to be okay, I promise, just look at me, don't look down."

I looked up into the dark brown eyes and as beautiful as they were, it didn't matter. I was hanging off the side of a mountain and every thought in my head was that I was going to fall. My hands felt like they were slipping and if it weren't for the rock that my foot was on, I probably would have already fallen.

"Spencer, look at me. You have to stop moving. Be still. The more you move, the more that root moves. I'm going to pull you up, but you have to calm down, okay?"

"Okay, but please hurry. Oh God! I'm not ready to die." I closed my eyes and thought of all the things left undone and unsaid. "There are so many things I still want to do. I wanna be number one the New York Times Best Seller list, I wanna get married, and have kids. Oh God… Ashley!"

I opened my eyes and looked back up at her, a look of sadness in her eyes. "And… I really wanna kiss you." I laughed at my horrible timing. "Please, Ashley, don't let me fall."

"You're not going to fall. Just look at me, okay."

She's not going to let me fall, she's going to pull me up, I kept repeating in my head over and over.

"That's right, look at me. Calm down and stay still, I'm going to get the rope."

I nodded.

She left, but was back in seconds. Leaning over the edge, with a small flashlight between her teeth, she lowered a rope. It had a loop at the end and she ordered me to let my left hand go and put it through the loop so that it was underneath my arm and then slowly do the same with the right. I was so scared, my body shaking, my heart racing, but I knew I had to do it and I trusted Ashley. I had to trust her; it was just me and her on this mountain.

"Spencer, I know you're scared, but you have to trust me. One at a time, put your arms through the loop. I'll pull you up, okay?"

"No, I'm too heavy. I don't want to pull you down." I started freaking out again. How could she pull me up, she was smaller than me?

"Spencer, you won't pull me down. I'm attached to a harness and the rope and I are both tied to a tree. You just have to trust me. I know you barely know me, but I'm here with you right now, and I'm not going to let you fall."

"Please don't let me fall, Ashley." I cried out.

"I won't, I promise." Her voice was calm and reassuring.

I tightened my grip on the root with my left hand and slowly released my right. My foot pressed onto the rock below and I was thankful that it held me. I slid my arm through the loop and once it was in and my hand was gripping the top of the loop, I let my left hand go and did the same thing.

"Okay, they're through. Pull me up!" I yelled to Ashley.

"Just keep your arms tight and your elbows down. And do not let go until I tell you to!"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The rope tightened and I started moving up slowly. It seemed like an eternity when I finally reached the top. I couldn't see her, but she put her arms underneath mine and pulled me over. I landed on top of her and in the moon light I could just barely see those eyes.

"Thank you," I whispered before lying down on her chest and hugging her tightly.

"It's okay. You're okay now," she whispered back.

It took a while to get back to the cabin. It was dark and Ashley was being extra careful. She didn't let go of my hand the entire way and I wouldn't let her if she tried. Hershey didn't leave my side either, even when we finally arrived at her cabin. I sat down on the couch as Ashley dug into her bag for a first-aid kit. When I slipped, I hit my head against the mountain. I had a rather large scrape on my forehead and my arms and legs had a few scrapes, as well.

After she had tended to all of my injuries, she brought me a glass of clear liquid. I thought it was water until I took a sip. It was vodka.

She laughed. "I thought you might need a drink."

I helped her cook dinner, against her wishes, of course. I didn't want to be away from her. I was still a bit shaky. While she was at the sink, cleaning the potatoes, I noticed that she had a scrape on the back of her arm. I grabbed some paper towel and moved behind her. After wetting the paper towel, I pressed it to her scrape. I don't know if it was from the closeness of the two of us, or the sting of the scrape, but she jumped. Her back pressed into my front and I closed my eyes and took in her scent and how good she felt in my arms.

"Your arm…it's bleeding," I said to her.

"I didn't even realize."

I had just been through the scariest thing in my entire life. The woman who saved me was in my arms. Every ounce of my being told me not to let this moment go. I had to do something.

I leaned in and pressed my lips to her neck leaving small pecks and slowly dragging my mouth up to her ear and cheek. She turned around slowly and I leaned into to kiss her, but she pulled away.

"I can't," she said quietly.

"I…I'm sorry." I didn't know what to say. At that moment, I thought she wanted the same thing.

"Spencer, I do…want this, but…"

"But what?"

"I already like you more than I should, and you're leaving."

"I can stay longer. I don't need to leave anytime soon."

"I can't. I want to, though. Trust me, I want to."

"Okay… but can I stay here tonight? I don't want to be alone, not after what happened." I didn't understand why she couldn't be with me. Just another mystery when it came to her. I didn't want to leave though, I couldn't. I needed to, at the least, be near her.

"I wasn't about to let you." She lifted her hand to my cheek, her thumb caressing my skin. I closed my eyes to the simple touch, a feeling of warmth and safety washing over me.

"I was scared, too, Spencer?" She whispered. I felt her move closer and then her lips touched my other cheek. My eyes finally opened to find her inches away. Her eyes were dark and she looked down at my lips before she closed them and leaned in. It was a soft kiss, just like I imagined our first one would be. It was slow and it was amazing and my heart was beating so fast I could feel it throughout my entire body. When she pulled away, I sighed.

"That's all I can give you, Spencer," she said.

Her hand was still on my cheek and I pulled it to my lips and kissed the top of it. I didn't know a lot about her. She had her secrets, as did I. She had her reasons, no doubt, for being up on this mountain…as did I. No, I didn't know a lot about Ashley, but she showed me what kind of person she was when I was hanging off of the mountain, fearing for my life.

"Thank you."

The two words had more than one meaning.

She nodded and then went back to cleaning the potatoes.

Dinner was incredible. Steak, corn, sliced and seasoned red-skinned potatoes. Ashley was a great cook. That didn't surprise me. She had been living up on the mountain for 3 years and there wasn't a restaurant around for miles.

After cleaning up the dishes, we sat, had a few beers and watched a movie. When I started to doze off she stood up, held out her hand and pulled me into her room. Even though I wanted more from her, just being in her arms was enough… for now.

"Ashley," I whispered.

"Yeah,"

"I wanna know you. I wanna know who you were before the mountain."

She didn't answer. I let it go. We had an eventful day and we were both tired.

Her arm was resting on my hip and I grabbed her hand and pulled her closer.

I wanted to know everything about Ashley Davies, the mysterious woman living on a mountain, practically alone. I wanted to know everything about the woman who could fix an air conditioner and make an amazing meal. I wanted to know everything about the shy woman who loved her dog and saved my life. I wanted to know everything about the woman holding me… the woman I was falling in love with.

**(Back stories in the next chapter)**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the first chapter. And for those who reviewed, it was greatly appreciated. I apologize for the long wait and hope that I have more than made up for it with this update. _**

**_Also, thank you to Steph, who is a pain in the ass, but very helpful :) and the one and only Dev for her amazing beta skills :) :) _**

**_As you are aware, I don't own the characters, just the story. Hope you enjoy!_**

**_(_**_Flashbacks are in italic)_

* * *

_"It's pitch black and about to storm and I'm stuck on a road up in the fucking mountains."_

_"Spence, calm down. Freaking out and screaming at me is not going to help your situation."_

_"Do not tell me to calm down. This is all your fault. How the hell did you find this place anyway?"_

_"It had great reviews and it's very secluded, just like you asked."_

_"Well, that's perfect because the last thing I want to deal with after being stuck on this road for over an hour is hillbilly rednecks and Sasquatch."_

_"Really, Sasquatch? You know, if you hadn't gone shopping and had dinner before finding the place, you probably wouldn't be stuck. It said right on the front of the booklet you received in BIG BOLD LETTERS to NOT drive up in the dark."_

_"Yeah, well, obviously I didn't read that part."_

_"No, you didn't, because it never left your office."_

_This was the last time I would let Katie plan my vacations. She was the best friend a girl could ask for, but she stank at planning. I should have known not to trust her. After all, she arranged a trip to a coin museum on our Senior skip day back in high school. _

_"You called that number, right?" I asked her. My check-in papers were in my suitcase in the trunk and there was no way in hell I was getting out of the car._

_"Yes, the woman said that help was on the way."_

_"Oh, someone's coming or something. I see a light." _

_"Don't open your door, just crack the window."_

_"It's somebody on a horse." I rolled down the window just enough so they could hear me. 'They' were a she and she was..._

_"Hi," she said. She was scrunched down almost against her saddle so she could look through my car window._

_"Hi," I replied, a little surprised._

_"You must be Spencer Carlin."_

_"Yeah, yes, I am."_

_"I'm Ashley, I work at the Hideaway. We won't be able to do anything with the car until morning. I'll have to take you the rest of the way."_

_"By horse?"_

_"Unless you'd rather walk?"_

_"Um...no. Just give me a minute."_

_"No problem."_

_I had almost forgotten about Katie until the sound of her calling my name emanated from the phone in my lap. I picked it up and held it to my ear. "Hey, I gotta go. Help is here, sort of."_

_"Who? A hillbilly redneck?"_

_"No. Definitely not. Not Sasquatch either." I said goodnight to Katie, threw my phone in my purse and got out of my car. Ashley had dismounted her horse and I noticed how small she was. "You must be pretty brave for them to send you down at this time of night, in the dark, no less."_

_She laughed and it made me smile. She had a cute laugh._

_"'There wasn't really a choice. I'm the only one up there."_

_"Just you?"_

_"Just me."_

_"Short staffed?"_

_"You could say that." She took off her leather glove and held out her hand. "Let me help you up."_

_I took it and she instructed me on how to get on the beautiful black horse. Once she was up as well, she gave the horse a little clicking sound with her mouth and we started moving forward._

_"Miss Carlin?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"You might want to hold on."_

_I placed both of my hands on her waist, gently pressing into her. I wasn't shy with women, but this beautiful stranger made me nervous. _

_"You're not really what I expected," I said quietly as we rode up the steep dirt road. Lightning flashed in the distance and I shrieked, gripping her tighter. She didn't seem bothered by it._

_"And what did you expect, Miss Carlin?" _

_"I don't know." I wasn't about to tell her what I really thought. _

_"A big, strong, handsome cowboy?" she asked._

_"Not really, just... not you."_

_"Should I be offended?"_

_"No, not at all."_

_We were silent for five minutes before she spoke again. "It's not too much further. Lila doesn't like to ride in the dark, so she's taking her time."_

_"Well, I don't blame Lila. It is pretty dark out here. I'm sorry you had to come rescue me."_

_"It's not a problem. And it's not the first time."_

_"Still, I'm sorry."_

_When we finally reached the cabin, it was raining. Ashley helped me off the horse and walked me up to the door. _

_"You can come by in the morning to sign some papers. Here are your keys." She handed me my keys and opened the screen door for me. "It was just cleaned again this morning. All the linens are fresh and the dishes clean. If you need anything, anything at all, give me a call. My number's next to the phone."_

_"Thank you," I said as she turned to leave._

_"You're welcome," she replied without looking back. She mounted her horse and started to leave._

_"Oh, and Ashley?"_

_She stopped and turned Lila around._

_"I don't really like big, strong and handsome cowboys."_

_She smiled. "Me neither."_

_I don't know why I felt the need to tell her that, but I did, and I was surprised at her reply. Surprised and, for some reason, happy._

_"Goodnight, Miss Carlin."_

_"Night."_

_She and Lila disappeared into the darkness and I sighed._

_"Definitely not Sasquatch," I said quietly to myself._

"Wow! First dinner and now breakfast? You're not going to be able to get me to leave."

Add to that the snuggle-fest last night and her covering me back up when she got out of bed at 7 a.m.

"It's nothing really, just omelets," she said nonchalantly. I walked up behind her at the stove.

"It could be toast and it would be something," I said softly over her shoulder.

She didn't respond, but I did see her smile through the glass on the microwave door above the stove.

"Thank you for letting me stay here last night. I probably wouldn't have slept a wink if I were at my cabin alone."

"You're welcome. It was the least I could do." Her tone changed and she seemed upset.

"You do know it's not your fault I fell, right?"

"While you're up here, you're my responsibility," she said, turning to face me. It was then that I saw that she was, in fact, upset.

"It was entirely my fault, Ashley. I freaked out."

"Doesn't matter. We shouldn't have even been up there in the dark in the first place." She turned back to the stove and continued with the omelets.

"It does matter. Don't blame yourself for something you couldn't control. I'm a big girl. I can admit it was my fault. You saved my life. That's the only thing you can take credit for. Okay?"

"Okay."

I heard sniffling and, when I moved closer to her, I noticed she was crying.

"Are you alright, Ashley?" I asked, putting my hand on her upper arm.

"What? Yeah. It's just the onions I put in the omelets." She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and turned the stove off.

"Go sit. They're ready."

The meal was excellent, of course. Ashley was a great cook. We ate mostly in silence, although she commented on how beautiful the mountain was in autumn. It was the first time I had heard her talk about the mountain and it was obvious that she loved it. I could have listened to her voice for hours.

While I was rinsing my plate, it occurred to me there weren't any onions in the omelets.

I followed Ashley out to the stables after breakfast. She had some daily chores to do and I offered to help. I said it was the least I could do after she cooked me dinner and made me breakfast. And held me all night, I thought. Really, though, I just wanted to be around her.

We cleaned out the old straw and, as she brought in the new bales, I took a break. I stood in the corner sipping on my bottled water as I watched her. This wasn't anything new. I loved to just sit back and watch her work. It was warm in the stable so she had taken off her flannel and tied it around her waist. Her black tank top fitted her so well, and I admired the way the muscles on her upper arms flexed while she spread out the fresh straw with a pitchfork.

"I spent every summer up here as a kid," she said without stopping her movements or looking my way. "My grandparents owned this place and I remember begging them to let me live here with them. I told Gramps that one day I wanted to take over for him, that way I would never have to leave. Every day after that, he taught me something new, from how to change a light bulb to rebuilding an engine. I was like a sponge, soaking in every bit of knowledge I could. I even started drinking coffee the way he did, a little cream, a lot of sugar and I dipped my toast into it. I rarely left my gramps' side and my grandma started calling me his little deputy." She finally stopped and I saw a smile spread across her face.

"Deputy?"

"Yep, deputy. My gramps was the sheriff of Greene County for thirty years. They didn't open this place until after he retired." She set the pitchfork aside and started spreading the straw with her hands. I joined her and she continued, "Anyway, I got older and the mountain drifted further and further from my mind. By the time I graduated high school, I had decided that I wanted to follow in my grandpa's, father's and brother's footsteps, so I joined the Police Academy."

"You were a cop?" I asked, somewhat surprised.

"I was an officer for two years and a detective for another two."

"So, what, you just quit? What happened?"

She stood up and brushed off her hands. "Yes, I just quit, and then I came up here."

She must have been done talking because she walked out of the stable. I sat there on a bale of straw, my eyes closed, trying to imagine Ashley in a police uniform. I couldn't see it. I could, however, picture her as a detective, solving crimes and kicking ass. I giggled to myself at my crazy imagination. I opened my eyes to find an amused Ashley leaning up against the stable door.

"Don't stop whatever it was you were doing on my account. Please, continue."

I pursed my lips and my cheeks, no doubt, turned a deep shade of pink. "No, I'm good." I stood up from the bale of straw and, as I walked past her, she followed me with her eyes.

Once Lila and her big sister Rosy were back in their clean stables, we headed back to her cabin. We ate sandwiches and sodas, then went onto her back porch. The small porch held only two rocking chairs and was suspended over the mountainside, held up only by four wooden stilts. I leaned up against the railing, taking in the view. I felt her close behind me; she slid her hands around my sides and slowly pulled me back towards her.

"I really, really don't want to have to save your life again, so, please, don't lean against the railing like that." She wasn't quick to let go of me and I wasn't about to pull out of her grip.

"Whatever you say, Officer."

And just like that, she released me and walked back into the cabin.

Was it something I said?

I took a seat in one of the rocking chairs, just as she stepped back onto the porch. Hershey was with her this time and he lay down next to me.

"It's your turn," she said as she sat on the other rocker.

"My turn?"

"I want to hear about you." She was polishing an apple with a dish towel. She offered the apple to me. I shook my head no.

"There's not really much to say." There was a lot to say. I just didn't want to talk about it.

"I doubt that," she said, biting into the apple.

I stood up and walked towards the rail, careful not to lean or even touch it. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"How about we start with where you're from?"

"I grew up in Connecticut, had two very strict, overbearing, and wealthy parents who basically bought my way into Yale. One day, I realized I just couldn't live up to their expectations any longer, and I left. I took off to Chicago with a friend of mine and never looked back. Chicago was amazing to me. Being on my own, no pressure, no responsibilities, no late night phone calls from my mother telling me how disappointed she was in me―it was like a rush to me. I miss those days."

"When did you start writing?"

"When I was a child. I wrote about everything from butterflies to ice cream to my best friend. It was just so natural for me to pick up a pencil and write down my feelings, or describe my surroundings, anything really."

"And when did it become more than a hobby?"

"I wrote a blog about our nights out on the town, partying at the clubs, having fun and such. It garnered a lot of attention and eventually I was contacted by a local website about writing on one of their columns. I did that for a few years until I applied for a job at the Chicago Sun-Times. I've been writing for them since."

"And you came here to what, find some inspiration?"

"No."

"Then why?"

"I fell in love, got my heart broken and had a nervous breakdown."

"Is that what you're writing about now?"

"No. I'm writing about this place, the beauty, the wonder, the life."

"So, you did find some inspiration?"

"I did. It's crazy how sometimes you can find something so amazing when you're not even looking for it or expecting it."

"I believe they call that serendipity."

"I just call it luck, and I haven't had any good luck in a while, so I'm really enjoying it."

"Well, would you like to go and find some more to enjoy?"

"I would."

We started down the same path as yesterday. This time, she carried a fishing pole and a small blue bucket. She had her backpack on as well, and I asked her if she needed help, but she declined.

"You should know I don't really like to fish," I said.

"It's okay. You can just sit and write."

"I didn't bring anything to write with."

"I'm pretty sure there's something you can use in the backpack."

"You really do have just about everything in that thing, don't you?"

"You have to be prepared in the mountains."

Rather than continuing on to where I had fallen the previous night, we turned down a very narrow path surrounded by small trees and bushes, It wasn't long before we came across a creek. It was about twenty feet wide and there were boulders scattered about as if they were meant to be stepping stones to the other side. Moss covered most of the large rocks, and the sun peeking through the trees made some spots of the green covering brighter. The creek poured into a wider and deeper pool of water before narrowing again and continuing downstream.

I stepped onto a bare and flat boulder and took in the beauty that surrounded me.

"I can understand why you would never want to go back to the city. To see_ this _every day. Everywhere you walk, every step, every turn, there's beauty, untainted and untouched beauty. It makes me wonder about the history and how many people have walked these paths, how many people have fished from these creeks, and it amazes me that it's still here and has never been altered or destroyed in some way. It's incredible."

"I like the way you think," she said.

I blushed. "No-one's ever said anything like that to me before."

"That's a shame." She looked so serious.

We both stood there staring at each other and I couldn't help but smile. She followed with a smile of her own.

"Anyway," she said, "I'm going to head down there and set up."

"Okay. I'll just stay here on this nice flat rock."

She pulled a pad of paper and a pen out of her backpack and handed it to me.

"Stay here. Don't go wandering off. I was serious about not wanting to have to save your life again."

"I won't go anywhere without you. I promise."

"Good."

I sat down on the rock and watched her walk down the edge of the creek. Hershey hadn't left my side and I wondered if they had that planned. She really didn't trust me to stay out of trouble.

"Looks like it's just you and me. Any ideas on what I should write about?" I asked Hershey. He looked at me, turned his head towards Ashley for a moment, and then back at me.

"Excellent idea!" He moved towards me and licked my cheek as I massaged behind his ears. "Good boy!"

It had been a little over and hour and my hand had begun to ache. I hadn't actually hand-written anything in years. Hershey and I made our way down to Ashley. Considering the amount of fish in her bucket, she had a successful day.

"Did you leave any fish in the water?"

"Of course. I left the small ones. Next time I come up here they'll be perfect size."

"What kind of fish?"

"Brook trout. Very tasty. I guess you'll have to let me cook dinner for you again tonight. You don't want to miss out."

"I guess I will."

We stood there once again doing the smiling and staring thing. Finally we were interrupted by Hershey. He barked twice and then walked into the water in front of Ashley. I looked up and saw right away what he was barking at.

"Not again."

"Spencer, I told you, it won't bother you if you don't bother it. Just ignore it."

I know she said they were harmless, but it was a bear and bears scared the hell out of me.

"Let's just get out of here." I was beginning to freak out again.

"Spencer, it's probably just here to get a drink of water. He doesn't care about us."

"How do you know that? Did you ask him?"

She laughed. "We come up here all of the time. I've actually hand-fed berries to them. They eat berries, Spencer, not humans."

She was standing in front of me, trying to block my view, but I could still see the bear and when he jumped into the water and moved towards us I freaked out. My heels backed into a rock and I fell backwards into the creek. Luckily, it was very shallow where I landed. I was so embarrassed, especially looking up and seeing Ashley trying not to laugh.

"This is what you get for not listening to me."

Finally she let out the giggle she was holding in.

"Look." She moved out of my way and I saw the craziest thing I think I'd ever seen. Hershey was chasing the bear around in a circle.

"Are they... playing?"

"Yep. That big and scary bear is a harmless, playful cub. His name is Blacky."

"He has a name? Who named him?"

"Hershey named him."

"Right, okay, that makes sense. Can you help me up?"

She held her hand out and I latched on, but before she could pull me up, I pulled her down and into the water.

"This is what you get for making fun of me."

"That was sooo not nice, Spencer."

She tried to get up and I pulled her back in. This time, she landed sideways and almost on top of me. I was holding myself mostly out of the water by leaning on my elbows; she was on her side and level with me. And she was so close, too close not to make a move. Before she had a chance to react, I leaned over towards her and pressed my lips to hers. She didn't kiss me back, she didn't even move, and I thought she was going to pull away, but she didn't. She moved her hand to the back of my head and quickly deepened the kiss. I had wanted this for weeks, since the first day we met, if I was being honest. It didn't matter that we were up to our elbows in freezing cold water: my body was on fire and my heart was racing.

I didn't even have time to react before I was being pushed onto my back. She slid on top of me, her hand behind my head keeping it above water and her knee pressing in between my legs. I was feeling so many things at once and couldn't get enough of any of them. Ashley was an amazing kisser and when her tongue met mine, I knew without a doubt that I never wanted to kiss another human being. That thought scared me, but I didn't let that stop me. My hands ran along her lower back and sides, but she stopped, pulling her lips away from mine.

"Are you still scared?" she asked. She was still so close and I wanted so badly to reclaim her mouth.

"No."

"I can feel your heart beating. It's so fast."

"It's not because of the bear, Ashley."

She looked down at me with her beautiful brown, rather serious eyes.

"We should get going. I've got a bucket full of fish to clean and cook."

She slid off of me and walked away, leaving me in the freezing water, cold and confused. I hadn't really even noticed how cold I was until I rose out of the creek. The black bear was gone and Hershey was lying in the grass licking his paws.

"You have got to be kidding me?" Ashley said as she lifted the blue bucket.

"What's wrong?"

"The fish are gone." She turned the bucket upside down.

"How?"

"Blacky!"

She quickly turned towards Hershey and glared. "You let him eat our fish?"

Hershey let out a quick bark as if replying, and I laughed.

"I guess were not eating tasty trout tonight," I said.

"I guess not." She was disappointed.

"Just eats berries, huh?"

This time it was me she was glaring at. Yikes!

Our walk back to the cabin was quiet. I couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. And I also could not stop thinking about how she got weird. Again. I would do just about anything to get into that head of hers.

"I bought some stuff to make soup. I could cook you dinner for once," I said, finally breaking the silence.

"That sounds great, Spencer."

"Okay, then soup, it is."

The rest of the walk was spent in silence, once again. It was crazy how comfortable the silence was when I was with her. I had become accustomed to her rarely speaking. While she quietly led the way back, I worked on a plan in my head on how to get her to stay the night with me. I wanted to be with her more than anything, and if we spent the night just holding each other again, I would be okay with that.

Ashley went back to her cabin to take a shower and I did the same. After getting dressed and straightening the cabin up, I started on dinner. She showed up just as I was putting the last ingredient in the pot.

"Dinner should be ready soon. Make yourself comfy."

"I hope you don't mind that Hershey tagged along. I think he's become quite fond of you."

"I don't mind, and the feeling is mutual."

She smiled and her nose did that crinkling thing. I can't describe how much I wanted to kiss her right then.

I wasn't the best cook, but Ashley seemed to like my beef and vegetable soup, finishing the big bowl I gave her and thanking me for a great meal. I wasn't sure if she really liked it or if she were just being nice. Afterwards, we sat out on the porch and enjoyed a few beers.

"Do you remember the day I came to fix the leaky faucet?" she asked.

"I do. It was the second day I was here."

"I thought you were a rich, snobby city girl at first."

"I know you did," I laughed.

_I sat at my laptop trying to find the right words, which would have been any words at that point. The clock on the wall kept ticking and the crickets wouldn't shut the hell up and then there was the leaky faucet. I was about to lose my mind. I slammed the laptop shut and walked outside. The sun had just set and the bugs were out full force. I didn't know why I had let Katie talk me into coming up there. I had only been there a day and was already ready to leave. _

_I called Katie and got her voicemail. "Book me a flight out of this hell hole first thing in the morning. I can't believe I let you talk me into coming up here." _

_I sat down and put my head in my hands. I knew I was overreacting and immediately felt bad for leaving the message. _

_"Checking out early, Miss Carlin?"_

_I grabbed my chest, startled._

_"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," Ashley said from atop her horse._

_"Out for a midnight ride?"_

_"Well, it's not quite midnight, but yes."_

_"I'm sorry you had to hear that. I'm just..." I shook my head at myself. I felt even worse that she had overheard._

_"Just having a bad day?" she finished._

_"More like a bad year!"_

_"I think we all have one of those in our lifetime. Sometimes two."_

_"Yeah, I suppose."_

_"Well, I hope that your night is better than your day was. Good night, Miss Carlin." She tipped her hat towards me and I giggled. _

_"Good night, Ashley." _

_I thought about Ashley as I lay in bed staring out the open window. She was exceptionally beautiful, that was obvious, but she was kind as well. She could have taken offense to my ranting, but she didn't. There was something about her, something that made me want to talk to her more, something that drew me to her. _

_I decided that I needed to give the Foothills Hideaway a second chance. _

_I slept really well, which surprised me and I woke up with a need to write something. I sat down at my laptop, a million words just waiting to be spilled onto the screen, but my fingers wouldn't move. I couldn't think. I kept seeing Ashley tipping her hat at me. I sighed and rubbed my temple, which I often did when I was trying to focus. I tried forcing out the image of Ashley, the ticking clock, the chirping birds, the leaky faucet, everything, but it didn't work. I needed some fresh air. _

_It was a little past noon and warm out already. I sat down in the rocking chair and sipped on some lemonade. Down the gravel road I could see Ashley's cabin and I was tempted to walk down there and say hello. I stood up from the rocker just as a dog came out of nowhere and ran up the steps towards me._

_"Hershey!" I heard from down the road. It was Ashley. "Hershey!" she yelled louder this time._

_She finally came into view and I almost could not contain myself. I couldn't remember the last time anyone had that effect on me. My heart was suddenly racing and I was a little nervous. She was so beautiful. _

_"Good morning, Miss Carlin," she said. Her voice was hoarse and incredibly sexy, something that I just realized in that moment._

_"Good morning. Can you please call me Spencer?"_

_She nodded. "Sure."_

_"This is... Hershey?" I asked, looking down at the dog on my porch._

_"Yes, I'm sorry. He doesn't usually run off like that."_

_"Oh, it's okay. He's beautiful."_

_"Thank you. He's a great dog."_

_"I was actually just going to call you. I have a leaky faucet. Is there someone you can get to fix it?"_

_"Yeah, sure. Let me take a look at it."_

_She followed me into the kitchen and inspected the dripping spout._

_"It's not as bad as I was expecting. You sure it has a leak?"_

_"Yes, it's quite annoying." Just then the water dripped and I pointed to the sink._

_"See?!"_

_"I'm sorry, I didn't hear anything."_

_"Look, I know it's not a big deal, but I need complete silence."_

_"Up here it's as quiet as you're going to get."_

_"I know. I'm sorry for being a pain. It's just that I'm a writer and that dripping is like nails on a chalkboard. I can't concentrate."_

_"It's not a problem. I can fix it. Just let me go get my tools."_

_"You... are going to fix it?"_

_"Well, who else is going to fix it? There's nobody else up here."_

_I needed to ask her about that. I hadn't seen anyone, but Ashley since I had arrived. _

_Half an hour later, I was sitting on the porch again when she walked out and told me it was fixed._

_"Thank you, Ashley."_

_"You're welcome, Spencer," she replied. She walked down the steps and turned to me once she reached the last one. "I hope you don't mind me saying this, but maybe it's not the leaky faucet, or any of the other sounds up here that are you keeping you from your writing. Take a walk, clear your mind, and maybe you'll find some inspiration."_

_I didn't know how to respond, but I knew that she was right._

_"Oh, and if you do go for a walk, go west, and take Hershey with you." She smiled, nodded and then walked towards her cabin._

_"Wow!" It was the only word I could find to describe her at that moment. Hershey must have agreed; he let out a quick bark and then ran after her._

_After that, I found every reason I could to get Ashley to come over. From a creaky screen door to a broken air conditioner to a rotted piece of wood on the porch awning that looked unsafe and needed to be replaced. We never really 'talked': we just discussed the problem, she fixed it and then she left. Hershey, on the other hand, would hang out with me quite a bit. I didn't understand Ashley; she was different to any other woman I had ever known. _

She stood up from her rocking chair and I knew what she was about to say. I reached for her hand. "Please stay."

"Not tired of me yet?"

I shook my head, no. "I know for a fact that they're showing Bonanza reruns until midnight. I'll make some popcorn."

She laughed. "How can I say no? Bonanza and popcorn!"

A couple hours later, we were lying in my bed. Ashley was flat on her back and dozing off, Bonanza still playing on the TV across the room. I grabbed the remote and turned it off. The moon shone brightly through the window and I couldn't help but lie there staring at the fascinating women lying next to me.

"Spencer?" she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Will you read me something that you've written?"

"Sure."

I reached for my notepad which was lying on the bedside table. She rolled onto her side so that she was facing me. Her eyes were closed.

"She's a breath of fresh air, like the mountain breeze. I breathe her in, a calm washes over me. Her soulful eyes are dark but full of life, like a fire on a cold winter's night. She talks like a book you just can't put down, enjoying every word, imagining every sight and sound. She..."

She pulled the book out of my hands and in an instant her lips were on mine. I was surprised, to say the least, but not so shocked that I couldn't respond. I moaned when her tongue entered my mouth and met my own. Her hand ran up my leg and over my stomach and my heart felt like it was going to burst from beating so fast. I turned her onto her back and slid on top of her. I had been waiting for this moment for so long that I didn't want to ruin it by rushing things. We took a moment, looking into each other's eyes as if asking one another if we were sure we wanted to do this. She answered by holding my face in her hands and pulling me back down to her.

The feelings I got from just kissing her were like nothing I had ever experienced. I wanted her. I wanted to take her right then, but I also wanted to take it slow. I wanted to make her feel everything I was feeling. I wanted to run my mouth over every inch of her body to memorize the feeling and taste of her skin, in case this was the only time I was ever this close to her. My lips left hers and moved slowly down to her neck, dragging my tongue along the way. Her hands moved over my lower back. She raised my shirt and, when I felt her on my bare skin, I latched onto her, sucking and biting down softly. She moaned and it was so sexy I could no longer hold myself back. I slid down her body and lifted her shirt. A gasp left my mouth, but it wasn't because of her perfectly sculptured abs, it was because of the two very noticeable round scars on them. Two round scars which had come from bullets. Ashley had been shot.

* * *

_**Leave a review if you wish. I would love to hear your thoughts. Inspire me!**_


	3. Chapter 3

My apologies for the long wait. Hope you enjoy!

Thank you, Steph and Dev.

* * *

_**Chapter 3**_

I sat down at the end of my bed with my head in my hands.

Ashley was gone.

Her reaction to my reaction upon finding her scars was to run out of my room as fast as she possible could. I tried to stop her; I begged for her to stay; but she left.

I didn't know what to do next.

Obviously, the scars were from bullet wounds. Obviously, it happened on the job. Or maybe not—I don't know. But what was absolutely obvious was that she didn't want to talk about it. And suddenly it seemed obvious what I needed to do.

I knocked on her door. After the third try with no answer, I headed back to my place. I tossed and turned for an hour before I realized I wouldn't be getting any sleep. As I made my way into the kitchen for a snack, I heard something outside the window and then something scratching on my front door. My heart jumped. I grabbed a knife from the sink and slid down onto the floor. I hoped whatever it was would just go away. When whatever it was started barking, I set the knife down and ran to the door.

It was Hershey.

He barked again and then started running towards a path. Without thinking, I ran down the steps and followed him. Once I was down the path, I spotted Hershey waiting for me. He started walking again once I was close behind him. Luckily, the moon was big and bright, but it was still hard to see where we were going. I put my fears of bears and whatever else might be out there far out of my mind. I knew Ashley was out here. I knew Hershey was taking me to her. I just knew.

Hershey took me to the creek. I spotted Ashley right away. She was sitting on the flat rock I had been on just the day before. Her legs hung off the side, her feet dipping into the cold stream, her head down.

"Ashley?" I said softly. She didn't respond even after I repeated myself. I climbed up on top of the rock and sat down next to her. She didn't move. "Ashley, are you alright?"

"I'm sorry I ran out like that," she said without looking up.

"It's fine. I understand. You don't have to talk about it." I slid my hand on top of hers and she looked up at me. Her eyes were flooded with tears and the moon was giving off just enough light to see that her cheeks were stained red. My hand reached up so naturally. I smeared away the fresh tears on her cheek with my thumb. "It's hard to talk about my past, and I haven't talked about it in so long. I don't even know where to start."

"How about you start with, how did you get shot?" I asked her tentatively. I hoped I hadn't crossed the line, but we both knew it was on my mind. She looked up at the sky and ran her fingers through her hair before she let out a long sigh.

"I had been a detective for a little over a year when it happened." Her eyes stayed straight ahead. She wouldn't look at me. I reached for her hand once again and she let me hold it. "I was working on a case. There was a guy who was kidnapping and sexually assaulting high school girls. He'd let them go when he got tired of them, and then he'd find another. He always wore a mask. He never spoke. But he slipped with one girl. He didn't cover up the tattoo on his right forearm.

"He was already in our system for a minor assault charge. Our records showed the identical tattoo. We got a warrant and searched his house and work, but we found nothing. He had alibis for when all of the girls went missing, so we had to let him go.

"I couldn't accept that. I knew it was him. I just knew. So I couldn't let it go.

"Even with the smallest leads, I went after him. I was able to sweet-talk my way into getting warrants, and I dragged him into the station every chance I got. It got to the point that he filed a harassment complaint and I got taken off the case. That didn't stop me though. I started following the guy, I knew he knew I was following him, but I didn't care. I just wanted him to know I was watching him. That way he couldn't hurt anyone."

She sighed and wiped her nose. Her body started to shake slightly and I pulled her closer to me.

"It was a Thursday night. I remember everything so clearly. I had just finished a fourteen-hour shift and walked into my house to find my girlfriend, Lisa, on the floor with a hand to her chest, trying to stop the bleeding. She was shot. I ran to her side immediately and she motioned towards to the left. There he sat, on my couch. He had the gun sitting in his lap as he drank from a glass of wine. My first instinct was to pull out my gun and shoot him in the head, but I had to think about Lisa. She needed me. While I helped her put pressure on her wound, I talked to him. I pleaded with him to let me call an ambulance. I pleaded with him to leave. I told him I would never bother him again, he could leave and no-one would come after him. I said anything and everything I could, but taking my life, or at least, try to was his end game. He stood up and walked towards me. I pulled out my gun and before I could fire, I had two bullets in my abdomen. I remember his words as he walked over me.

"_Thanks for the wine__…__ and your woman. _

"He licked his lips and winked before walking out the door and leaving us both there to die.

"I woke up a few days later in the hospital. Lisa survived as well. Luckily, our neighbor had heard the shots and called the police. After talking with Lisa, I found out that he didn't touch her. He tried to, but she put up a good fight and that's when he shot her. He wanted me to believe that he did, though. He wanted me to think that as I was lying there dying. He thought he had killed me.

"I went back to work as soon as I could walk comfortably. They wouldn't let me in on the case, but I worked it on my own, once again. I was so obsessed with trying to track him down, I never stopped working. Eventually, Lisa left me. She didn't blame me for what happened, but she blamed me for walking out on our relationship. She couldn't and wouldn't stand by me and my obsession.

"Then one day I decided to just stop looking. I couldn't do anymore. I wasn't eating or sleeping and, when I was able to get in a bit of sleep, I had nightmares. I looked in the mirror and I didn't recognize the person looking back at me. I had lost so much weight, and I had lost myself. I took a two-month leave and tried to put my life back together. While I was on leave, he struck again. And, like before, he didn't bother to cover up his tattoo. It was almost like he was taunting me or provoking me.

"If it wasn't for my grandfather, I would have been pulled back into the madness. He was visiting when I got the call and it took everything in him to talk me out of going after him. He told me that I needed to let it go. I needed to let someone handle it. I was too close to it all to think clearly. The cabin was still livable and he handed me the set of keys. Initially, I was only supposed to stay there for a few weeks, but… I fell in love with the mountain all over again. So I quit, and I moved up here. It took a while to get this place back to what it once was, and along the way I slowly became the person_ I_ once was."

She stood up and walked into the creek.

It was a lot for me to process. My heart ached for her; my arms ached to hold her. She had been through so much and kept everything bottled in for so long.

I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing. I waited for her to continue.

"I kept to myself for so long because I didn't want to lose myself to anything or anyone ever again. I was happy being up here alone, just me and Hershey." I wasn't expecting those words from her, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt to hear them. But, it was understandable. "Sometimes you find something so amazing, something you weren't expecting," she added as she turned back towards me.

She stood there in the creek, the moonlight hitting her perfectly, and I couldn't remember ever seeing something or someone so beautiful.

"Let me guess, serendipity?" I asked.

"No. Luck. And I haven't had any of that in a very long time, so I'm enjoying it."

She was standing in front of me and I pulled her close so she was standing in between my legs. My arms were held tight around her back and she rested her head in the crook of my neck.

"I'm sorry you went through all of that, Ashley. I can't imagine how horrible that experience was. I'm not surprised you survived, or that you found yourself again. You're so strong and brave and amazing."

"You wouldn't have liked the Ashley I had become. She was scary."

"Did they ever catch the guy?" She nodded. "Did you get any relief, at all, when you found out?"

"A little."

"Thank you for telling me. I know it was hard for you." It was obvious she didn't want to talk about it anymore. And I didn't want her to think about it anymore.

"This mountain… it saved me."

"I'm glad that you came back here. I'm glad that I met you. I've never met someone like you before. I've never connected with someone like this before. Call it serendipity or luck or whatever, but I've never enjoyed spending time with someone as much as I do with you. Being with you, being around you, it makes me so happy."

She dropped her head and I lifted it back up. Her eyes were glassy again.

"I'm not alone with these feelings, am I?" I asked her.

This time she leaned in and rested her forehead against mine.

"You're not alone," she whispered before her lips met mine in a slow and sensual kiss. The pace of the kiss didn't match the beating of my heart. It was racing again.

I offered to walk her home, but she had insisted we go back to my cabin. She was exhausted, we were both exhausted, and when we returned to the cabin and lied down, I knew it wouldn't be long before we fell asleep. I was happy to just hold her after what happened and hearing her story.

When I opened my eyes the next morning, I instantly looked for her, but found only a note on her pillow.

_You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn__'__t want to wake you. Hershey and I are going to go for a walk and then I have to take care of some things. See you soon._

I didn't know why I was worried about her. She knew the trails like the back of her hand, no doubt. I understood that she probably needed some time alone after what happened the previous night, but the selfishness in me wanted her back, in my cabin and in my arms.

She called me a little past noon saying that she needed to go to town for some things and that she was making dinner for us. She told me to come over around five and to bring my appetite. I was excited for dinner, but I had several hours to kill before then. I wished she had asked me to come along and I sat on the couch for over twenty minutes going over every possible reason why she didn't. I shook my head and laughed at myself, finally letting it go.

I gave Katie a call. I hadn't spoken to her in a few days. She grilled me about all things Ashley like she normally did and was stoked about the latest developments. I didn't tell her about what had happened to her, I didn't even want to think about that. After the two-hour conversation with my nosey best friend, I decided to do some writing, or at the least, try to. The hours went by fast as I typed away on my keyboard; the words flowed easily out of my head and onto the screen. After writing nearly 5,000 words of the new project I was working on, I took a break. The clock read 4:32 and I decided I couldn't wait another twenty-eight minutes.

I knocked on the screen door several times before Hershey pushed it open from the inside. After looking throughout the entire cabin, I found Ashley out on her back porch. I leaned on the door frame for a minute watching her. Her elbows were leaning on the very rail she asked me to stay away from and she was looking out at the wide-open sky. She was dressed in her usual attire except that she was barefoot and her pant legs were rolled up to her shins. Her unruly hair was down, free of any ties or hats and it blew slightly in the breeze.

I walked towards her and wrapped my arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, I've got you."

She leaned her head back onto my shoulder and I kissed her cheek, letting my lips linger just a little.

"What were you thinking about?" I asked her.

"You," she replied after a few seconds.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes, but that's nothing new."

I smiled like an idiot. Thankfully, she couldn't see my face. "Good thoughts, I hope."

"Actually, I was wondering how I was going to be able to… let you leave."

I turned her around in my arms and ran my hand through her curls. "You don't have to worry about right now. I'm going to stay for a few more weeks."

"And what about your job?"

"They'll be fine without me for a while longer."

"Are you sure? They're not going to fire you for taking so much time off?"

"No. I promise, I'm not going to get fired. My boss loves me. Nothing to worry about."

"That's not surprising," she said quietly right before she leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips.

The moment was interrupted by the sound of my stomach growling.

"I guess I should get in there and cook you some dinner," she said with a giggle.

I watched her cook and we talked about our families. I explained to her, that when my parents divorced four years ago, my mother moved to Chicago with every intention of repairing our relationship. She apologized for her overbearing nature, admitting that her own unhappiness and failure to succeed was the reason for it. I only saw my dad and his new wife on holidays and I was okay with that. My brother worked for my father's business, and I rarely saw him as he was always traveling.

Ashley was very close with both of her parents, especially her mother. I wondered about her mother. Did Ashley look like her? Did she have that same messy brown hair? Did she have the same dark and alluring eyes? And what about her dad? Did Ashley get her braveness from him? Did he have the same calm demeanor? They lived in Florida, as did her younger sister and her family. She also had an older brother who worked for the Knoxville Police. They had dinner twice a month in a small diner just outside of Knoxville. He was her best friend and very protective of her. I hoped I would get a chance to meet him.

Dinner was incredible. Ashley's walk with Hershey involved catching some more brook trout. She seasoned and grilled it and served it with red-skinned potatoes and a medley of vegetables as sides. After dinner, we packed up the backpack and a few extra things. The sun was beginning to set and she wanted to take me somewhere special to see it. We saddled up Rosy and headed out. A long trail led us to a meadow; it was surrounded by mountains and went on for miles until ending before a lake. The sun, low in the sky, was shining off the lake and about to disappear behind the mountain directly in front of us. The sight was breathtaking, truly a miracle.

She laid out a blanket and sat down. "This is my favorite spot on the entire mountain."

"It's…" I couldn't find the right word.

"The writer is speechless?"

"I am."

"Come here." She held her hand out and I took it. She pulled me down and I sat in front of her as she wrapped her arms around me.

"Thank you for sharing this with me, Ashley." I leaned my head back and we were cheek to cheek.

"You're welcome."

The sun was gone and the moon was shining bright above us. We were lying face to face. Her eyes were closed and I ran my fingers through her hair. In that moment, I knew I was in love with her. The realization hit me hard. I always thought I knew what love was, but I was feeling things that I had never felt before. It wasn't just a physical attraction. I wanted all of Ashley. I wanted everything. I didn't just want her body; I wanted her heart, her soul and her mind. I wanted to spend every night of my life, just like this. No words needed, just her and me. I wanted to take long walks while holding her hand and watch her fish in the creek. I wanted to cook dinner with her and help her take care of her horses. I wanted to hold her and read to her until she fell asleep. I didn't care if I ever stepped foot off of the mountain. I wanted to be with her. I didn't want anything else.

She opened her eyes and tilted her head.

"You okay?" she asked in a sleepy voice.

"I am."

"You sure?"

"One hundred percent sure." I didn't have to look at her lips; she was smiling through her eyes, those eyes that I never wanted to look away from. "One hundred and ten when you smile at me like that."

When we got back to her cabin, she pulled me into her room. Her hand reached up and caressed my face as her dark brown eyes gazed into mine. "So beautiful," she whispered. I pursed my lips; my cheeks were no doubt a deep shade of pink. I had been told I was beautiful before, but coming from Ashley, the way she was looking at me, the way she held my face in her hand, the way my heart was beating, it meant so much more than just a word. "I need you tonight. Stay with me?" she asked, her voice aching, full of desperation.

"I don't want to be anywhere else." I took the hand that was still on my face and kissed the top of it. I led her over to her bed and sat down, pulling her on top of me. "Promise you won't leave again," I begged her. She responded by leaning down and kissing me.

Making love with Ashley felt different than it did with anyone else. I had never fully given myself to anyone like I did with her. Every kiss, every touch, I was lost in her. There was so much fire, so much passion, it was all very overwhelming. We took our time and we reveled in every second and every feeling and sensation. We were connected on every level and moved together as if it weren't our first time. Being with her was not like anything I expected, it was so much better than I could have ever dreamed of. And I thought maybe I was dreaming, but even my dreams could not have been as good.

Afterwards, as we held each other, I almost told her I loved her. I almost said the three words that had been sitting at the tip of my tongue for days. Once again, I held them back. I wasn't ready to say them and I wasn't sure if she was ready to hear them. I couldn't believe that I had found love after I had nearly given up on it. And the fear crept up on me, hitting me hard when I wasn't looking.

I slid out of bed, careful not to wake her and threw on her robe. It was a bit chilly out on the balcony and I wrapped my arms around myself. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths of the fresh air trying to calm myself. The bad thoughts wouldn't go away. What if she didn't love me back? What if she broke my heart? What if I broke hers?

The floor board creaked just before I felt her arms slide around me, warming me instantly.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, just thinking." I almost said no, but I didn't want her to worry.

"At four o' clock in the morning?"

"I'm always thinking."

"Then you think too much."

"I do. It's a bad habit, but I've always got so much on my mind."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"No, I don't wanna bore you with my endless thoughts about everything and anything."

"You could never bore me."

I laughed. "You'd be surprised. I have a great fascination with U.S. History, especially the seventeenth century. Pretty boring stuff."

"I'm sure you could make it interesting to me in some way. I love to hear you talk."

She had me blushing again. And speechless... again.

"Why don't you come back to bed? It's chilly out here."

"I will. Just give me a minute."

She walked back into the cabin and I let out one more long and deep breath.

I loved her and I knew she loved me back. I also knew that we would both have broken hearts when I left the mountain. And I had to leave. I had a job and a life in Chicago. I had my friends and my mother in Chicago. But my heart, my heart was up here on this beautiful mountain. My heart was with Ashley. How was I supposed to leave in two weeks?

_(More of Spencer__'__s backstory in the next chapter)_

_I will try my best to get the next chapter to you a lot sooner than this one. Some inspiration would do wonders._


	4. Chapter 4

**_As__ always, sorry for the delay. Hope you enjoy!_**

**_Thanks Steph and Dev. You guys rock!_**

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**_Chapter 4_**

The more time I spent with Ashley, the deeper I fell in love with her. I wanted to be near her every second of the day, I wanted to feel her strong arms around me and her warm breath on my neck. I never wanted to let her go, but I knew she needed her space and I gave it to her more frequently than I would have liked to. I was set to leave the mountain in less than a week and I still had no idea how I was going to do that. It was hard being ten feet away from her, let alone nearly six hundred miles.

SIX HUNDRED MILES! What the hell was I going to do?

The week had gone by fast and I found myself counting the hours until I would have to leave her. I know she was thinking about it too, though she didn't ever speak of it. I hadn't known Ashley that long or that well, but I could tell when she was upset. She was quieter than usual and would spend more time down at the stables. I think being around Lila and Rosie calmed her. She would spend hours with them, cleaning out the stables, grooming them and talking to them. We took many long walks with the two Tennessee walking horses, up and down trails, into the deep forest, through shallow streams. And we galloped through the meadows, scaring me half to death each time, but it was quite thrilling. Horseback riding was just another thing I was going to miss when I left.

It was a Saturday evening and we were at the creek. It was starting to sprinkle, but the trees caught most of the light drops. We sat on the big boulder, my back to her front, just taking in the beautiful night. We were so comfortable in the silence. I never had that with anyone else. As many words as I held back, as many feelings as I had locked up inside, I didn't need to say them; she just knew.

The crickets chirped, tiny splashes formed in the water from the rain and the trees swayed slightly. It was one of those nights where everything was just right and it felt as if we were the only two people in the world. I was hit with all of these overwhelming feelings of love and passion and beauty. It was all around me and I could almost not handle it.

I leaned my head back onto Ashley shoulder and she kissed my cheek.

"Are you cold? Do you want to get going?" she asked.

"No, I'm perfect."

"I wouldn't go that far," she joked. I playfully elbowed her in the ribs.

"I'm kidding, Spencer. I mean, nobody is perfect, but you're pretty damn close."

"You're crazy, but thank you."

"I am a little crazy, and it's entirely your fault. Everything about you drives me crazy."

"I sure hope you mean that in a good way."

"I do."

I felt her warm lips on my neck and closed my eyes. She drove me crazy, too. In many, many 'good' ways. "Yeah, maybe we should get going."

We headed back to her cabin just as the rain started to fall hard. By the time we reached her porch, we were drenched and our jeans were muddy up to the shins. Ashley somehow had gotten a little bit of the mud on her face and I couldn't help but giggle.

"What are you laughing at?" She pushed me up against the wooden rail and pressed herself against me.

"You have a little mud," I reached my hand up and wiped the mud with my thumb, "right here."

"There's some on you, too," she said.

"Right here," she whispered before leaning in and kissing me. It was one of those sweet and hot kisses that I had only ever experienced with Ashley. I wanted to tell her right then that I loved her, but I also wanted to rip off her clothes and take her right there on the porch. She pulled away from the kiss and began to undo the button on my shirt.

"What're you doing?" I asked. Maybe she had read my mind.

"Undressing you. We can't go inside with these wet and muddy clothes on." She slid my shirt off, her eyes never leaving mine, and I was done for. I was hers.

As we made love that night, I knew I never wanted anyone but her for the rest of my life. I was leaving in a week; I was going back home, but I knew in my heart, and I had nearly convinced my head, that eventually my home would be with Ashley. Wherever that may be.

"Spencer?" she whispered. It was storming hard outside and the lightning lit up the bedroom, showing flashes of Ashley's face and her still slick body.

"Yeah?" I replied, half asleep.

"What's her name?" she asked.

"Who?" I knew who she was referring to, but I was surprised and I wasn't sure if I was ready to talk about her.

"The girl who broke your heart." It came out quietly. She didn't want to ask as much as I didn't want to answer, but she was curious, and she deserved to know what happened. I sighed into the heavy night air and felt her squeeze my hand. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important to me. I wanna know all of you, Spencer, even the bad parts."

"You really want to talk about this right now?" I had just spent one of the most wonderful nights with Ashley. I didn't want to ruin what was left of it talking about… her.

"I've wanted to ask you for a while now. I just didn't know how to bring it up. I know you came up here because of her. Do you… do you still love her?"

"No, I don't." I shook my head. "I haven't for a long time." I sat up and slid out of bed.

"I'm sorry, Spencer."

"You don't have to be sorry. You deserve to know. I just, I don't want to talk about it."

"I understand that. I do. I didn't want to talk about what happened in my past either, but I did, for you. Because I wanted you to know exactly who I was and where I came from."

"I'm not as strong as you are, Ashley." I sat down at the foot of the bed and wiped away a tear which threatened to fall from my eye. I felt her move behind me. She moved my hair aside and kissed my bare shoulder.

"You don't have to be strong for me, okay?"

I nodded and turned towards her. She leaned in and left a soft kiss on my lips, sending shivers throughout my entire body.

"Whatever you tell me, it's not going to change the way I feel." She kissed me again, this time letting her lips linger. Her hand caressed my cheek. "You can talk to me about anything, Spencer."

I knew that I could, but I feared that she would, in fact, feel differently about me. I pulled her hand down from my cheek and held it in my own.

"Okay, but can you put some clothes on first?"

"I can do that," she replied with a small laugh.

Ashley put on a robe and handed me a shirt to wear. It was going to be uncomfortable enough talking to Ashley about my heartbreak; I didn't want to do it with us both completely nude. She sat down on the chair in the corner of the room and I sat back down on the end of the bed.

I let out a long sigh before I started. "Her name is Autumn, and we met at an awards banquet my second year at the paper. She was older than me, smart, beautiful and a very talented writer. I had known who she was before I bumped into her at the banquet. I was a big fan of hers, actually. Anyway, she offered to buy me lunch so we could discuss an article I had written and after that we started seeing each other. And my infatuation with her only grew the more I spent time with her. She had accomplished everything that I had only dreamed of. She was so brilliant and I learned so much from her. It didn't take long for me to fall for her. We were having a secret affair for quite some time. She was married—well, they were legally separated, but her wife made her feel guilty for seeing other people. She bought a condo in the city and we would meet there almost every night. We would take weekend trips to her summer cottage and fly to her beach house on Kiawah Island. I loved her and I loved my life with her. Our affair lasted almost a year and I thought she was finally going to officially divorce her wife, but she didn't." I stood up and walked to the window. I was beginning to feel the anger creep up and I needed to feel the cool breeze from the air conditioner on my face.

"We went out to dinner one night and we were having an amazing time. The food was great, the wine was great, it was a great night. And just as we were about to leave, she told me we couldn't see each other anymore. She told me she was going back to her wife because she was still in love with her and she wanted her back, as well. I remember sitting there for maybe an hour afterwards. I drank an entire bottle of wine and the restaurant manager had to call a cab for me.

"I was a wreck for weeks. Then, of course, a few months later when I had finally begun to feel like myself again, when the pain had finally subsided enough for me to leave the house without looking like death and actually live my life, I ran into her at a bar. She admitted that she missed me and that she wasn't happy. She had filed for divorce and she was nearly free, but she didn't feel free because she was still in love with me. And, of course, me being young and stupid and gullible, I believed everything she said and we started seeing each other again. She asked me to move into the condo with her and we went on regular dates and were a normal couple. I don't know why I stayed with her once she made it clear that she never wanted to get married again or have kids because I wanted both. I stayed with her, and she sucked me into her life and pulled me away from mine. We went on double dates with her friends, and parties for her friends, and she dressed me up with fancy clothes and jewelry and showed me off to everyone she knew. And, after a while, I began to feel alone. When I talked to her about it, she asked me to marry her. I had grown up a little since I had first met her, so I knew why she did it. She didn't want to lose me. And after everything that she had put me through, I still couldn't walk away from her, I still loved her. So, of course… I said yes." I sighed to myself and turned towards Ashley who had my full attention. "I need a drink."

I sat down at the kitchen table and she set two small glasses down and poured us both some vodka.

"Perfect," I said as I picked up the glass and downed it. Ashley opened her eyes wide and then poured me another before sitting down next to me. "So, yeah, I agreed to marry her, but I made her promise that things would change. And things did change. We spent more time with my friends and even my family and she actually seemed like she enjoyed it. As our wedding day got closer, she began to travel a lot. She had just released her latest book and had to do a twenty-city tour. I was upset with the timing, of course. I had already planned most of the wedding which was going to be on a beach on Kiawah Island, so I wasn't worried about that. I just sensed that she planned it that way. The stress of getting married again was beginning to get to her, but she promised me that it's what she wanted, more than anything. The night before the wedding was so wonderful. She was so excited and she couldn't wait to see me in my dress. Except, she lied. I stood at the altar in my gorgeous dress, my hair beautifully done, and endless tears streaming down my face. She never showed up. And I didn't hear from her until later that night as I lay in bed, exhausted from crying. She told me she was sorry and that I deserved better than her and that I needed to move on." I downed the second glass of vodka and sat back in my chair.

"A week passed and she still didn't come home. I tried calling her, but she wouldn't answer me. The phone just rang and rang until one day someone picked up… another woman. I was so hurt and angry and I completely lost it. I picked up a baseball bat and destroyed the condo. And then I packed up my stuff and moved in with Katie. A few weeks later when she finally decided to come home, she came up to my work and started screaming at me and threatening to press charges against me for property damage. After that, things got bad, really bad. I woke up one day and decided I wasn't going to go to work, I wasn't going to talk to anyone, and anyone who tried to talk to me I would just ignore. I was severely depressed. Crying and yelling and throwing things became normal to me. It took Katie threatening to kick my ass out on the street to get some help. I went to a therapist and started doing yoga, and I was doing a lot better, but I still felt empty inside. For my entire life, writing had always been therapeutic to me. I was always able to write what I was feeling or be inspired by the way I was feeling. And I had nothing, not one word or sentence. My boss' patience with me was already wearing thin, if I couldn't write, he had no use for me. He recommended I take some time off and my therapist couldn't agree more. So… here I am."

Ashley, who remained quiet the entire time I told my story, still hadn't said anything and I was beginning to get nervous.

"So, yeah, I got my heart broken and I wasn't strong enough to handle it. I was stupid and I was weak." I hung my head, trying desperately to hold the tears back.

I felt her sit down next to me; she wrapped her arm around my back and pulled me into her.

"You weren't stupid, Spencer. Or weak. You were in love and you believed in love. She had you twice, and she let you go twice. She was the stupid one." I leaned my head into the crook of her neck and I let the tears go. "You lost yourself. I get that. I did, too. That's why I ended up on this mountain, Spencer. We're both here because we needed to find ourselves again, and we did."

No words were said after that. I kissed her like I never had before; giving her everything I had in me. Every emotion I was feeling came out and I didn't stop them. A few tears fell from my eyes as she laid me back down and hovered over me. She wiped the wetness from my cheeks and planted soft kisses on them. We made love again, this time more intense and also desperate. I was desperate to show her how much I wanted her, desperate to hold on to her for as long as I could.

I woke up alone again and couldn't help but feel sad. After telling her everything that happened last night, I didn't expect her to stay; I didn't expect her to make love to me. I expected her to find any reason she could to leave. Maybe she finally came to her senses, I thought to myself. I quickly threw on a robe and when I opened the door to the bedroom I found Hershey waiting for me. I followed him into the kitchen and, like he always did, he turned on the coffee maker. I sat down at the table where I found a note from Ashley.

_Sit down, have some coffee and muffins. We have a long day ahead of us. Xo_

I stared at the note with a goofy smile. She was so sweet and wonderful and caring. I couldn't believe I had found someone as amazing as she was.

After a cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin, I showered. By the time I had finished getting ready, Ashley was back. She leaned on the door frame of the bathroom as I was putting my earrings in.

"Morning," she said.

I smiled at her in the mirror. "Good morning. Where did you go so early?"

"I had to freshen up Cabin 3. I have a renter coming up around two."

"Really? So we won't be alone up here anymore?"

"Doesn't matter who's up here. There's still only me and you."

A light blush formed on my cheeks and I tilted my head with a smile. "You're sweet, but you have a job to do. I don't want to be the reason for an unhappy renter."

"He's a frequent renter, a photographer for a travel magazine. He never bothers me, and I rarely see him."

"I suppose all renters aren't as needy as me."

She laughed. "Not usually. Actually, not at all." I stuck out my bottom lip, pouting. "Awww, don't do that. Besides, I liked that you were so needy. It gave me a chance to spend time with you and get to know you a little." She kissed me on the nose and, before she could back away, I pulled her back and pressed my lips hard against hers. The kiss was rough and wet. She pushed me up against the wall and I nearly came undone when she dragged her lips down the length of my neck and bit down on my shoulder.

Needless to say, we didn't leave the cabin until after noon. The way she kissed me; the way she touched me; the way she whispered in my ear 'you're so damn beautiful'; the way she held me afterwards: all those things told me that my past didn't matter to her. I had worried for nothing. She couldn't have taken it any better. She was right: we had both lost ourselves; we both came up to the mountain and found ourselves; and we found each other in the process.

She had some places she wanted to take me, but time did not permit moving too far from the cabin and we ended up at the creek again. I watched her fish for more brook trout until eventually she handed me the rod and showed me how to do it myself. I had been fishing before, much to my dislike, but because Ashley enjoyed it so much, I did it anyway. Sometimes, I suppose, it's not the activity you don't enjoy, it's doing that activity with a certain person. Fly fishing wasn't so bad, actually—especially with Ashley close behind me, showing me the ropes.

When we returned early that evening, there was a message on the machine for her. The renter in Cabin 3 was having some problems with his air-conditioner.

"Not needy, at all, huh?"

"It's just the air-conditioner. I'll be back before you know it."

"I told you that you needed to replace all of them. They've got to be more than fifteen years old."

"Yeah, yeah," she said as she walked down the gravel road.

I got a text from her twenty minutes later saying that she hadn't even started with the repairs. The renter, Steve, was being quite the chatterbox. Apparently, his wife had just left him and photography was all he had left and yada, yada, yada.

Nope, not needy, at all.

Not even a minute later there was a knock at the door. It couldn't have been Ashley, so I cautiously open the door and peeked out.

"Hi, I'm looking for Ashley," said a tall, gorgeous blonde wearing a pant suit.

"She's not here at the moment, but she should be back soon."

She put her hands on her hips and I noticed the shiny gold badge that hung from her belt.

"Is there a problem?" I asked.

"Oh, no! No problem. Sorry, I forget that I have this on sometimes." She pulled off the badge and slid it into her pocket. "I was in town and figured it was past due for a visit. You said she should be back soon?"

"She should be. Maybe 20 minutes?" I eyed her suspiciously. Who was this woman? She must have sensed my curiosity.

She stuck her hand out and I shook it. "I'm sorry. My name is Lisa. I'm Ashley's ex."

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**_One more chapter after this. Leave a review if you wish :)_**


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry this one is so short, but it's only because I plan to bring you one more after this. I hope you enjoy!

Thanks to Steph and Dev and to everyone who read and/or reviewed :)

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**Chapter 5**

I stood there in the doorway, frozen.

Lisa. Ashley's ex-girlfriend Lisa. Ashley's ex-girlfriend Lisa, who was a cop. Ashley's ex-girlfriend Lisa, who was a tall, quite fit, very beautiful, blonde cop. I might have failed to mention how intimidating she was standing there with her pant suit and her badge and her perfect blonde hair flowing naturally over her broad shoulders. Lisa.

I was very intimidated.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Come on in." I stepped aside so she could enter. Her perfume filled my nose as she passed. She didn't smell like a cop, not that I knew what a cop smelled like. But I imagined they didn't smell half as good as she did. Once again, I tried to imagine Ashley as a police officer, but now I couldn't picture Ashley without picturing her beautiful blonde ex-girlfriend standing next to her, both of them holding guns. Ugh.

"It's nice to meet you…" She held out her hand once she was inside.

"Spencer," I finished for her.

"It's nice to meet you, Spencer. Do you work here, or…"

"I don't work here. I'm staying in one of the cabins."

"If you know who I am, you have to be pretty close to Ashley. I know she isn't open with just anyone."

"I didn't say I knew who you were."

"You didn't have to; it's written all over your face."

"Is that a cop thing?"

"I've always been really good at reading people. It comes in handy being a cop, yes." She sat down on the couch and looked around. "So, you two are close?"

"We're pretty close."

"Like friend-close?"

"No, not like friend-close."

She nodded again and then looked down at the floor as a small smile spread across her face.

"Good. I'm glad that she's finally moving on. She deserves to be happy." I didn't know what to say, so I just stood there. She sat down on the couch and looked around.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, I'm good, thank you."

I sat down on the couch across from her. The silence was extremely awkward.

"I wasn't aware that you two worked together. She didn't mention that, that you were a police officer as well."

She nodded. "We met in the Academy. We didn't start dating until we were on the force. Secretly at first, because she took her job very seriously and she didn't want people judging her for her love life rather than what kind of police officer she was. And she was a damn good one. Once everyone was aware of that, we got more serious and she asked me to move in with her. We were together for a few years before…"

"Before you both got shot?"

"So, she told you?"

"Yes, she did. It's terrible what you both went through."

"Well, we're both survivors. Just not when it came to our relationship."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How did they finally catch the guy?"

"It was… it was me that caught him. I shot him. He died on the way to the hospital." She looked away from me and to the wall. "I got a tip, and I couldn't ignore it. When I came face-to-face with him and he reached behind his back, I reached for my gun and, without any thought at all, I fired until he fell to the ground. It was nice to get some closure—for those girls, for me, for Ashley. But taking another life, it's not easy to live with. I'm glad that it was me that finally got him and not Ash. I don't think she would have been able to handle that.

"Ashley was a great officer and an even better detective. Not because she was handy with a gun, not because she could take a three-hundred-pound guy down with one swoop of her leg: she was a good talker. She talked her way out of bad situations. I remember the first week we were on the force. We were rookies and still learning the ropes. My partner and I got called to an abandoned warehouse. Gunshots were heard from a nearby business. When we arrived at the scene, there she was. She was standing ten feet from a man pointing a gun at her. My heart stopped as I watched her unbuckle her belt and set it on the ground. She had no defense against the guy as she walked slowly towards him. I couldn't hear what was being said, but I could see the man's eyes change. After what seemed like forever, he lowered his weapon and handed it to her. I'd never felt such a strong sense of relief. It wasn't the only time this happened. She always talked to them. She always calmed them down. Her intention was to never draw her weapon. Of course, on occasion she would have to, but she had never shot anyone in her four years on the force. She always said that she would only shoot someone if she absolutely had no choice."

I never thought about it, but I agreed with Lisa. I saw the way Ashley was with Hershey. I saw how she cared for her horses, and even how she was with me. She had a huge heart and a kind soul. Taking a life might have taken her to the point of no return. Before I could form a response, Ashley walked through the door, her tool belt slung over her shoulder, a small toolbox in her hand and a surprised look on her face.

Lisa stayed for dinner and, much to my surprise, I enjoyed her company. She had a great sense of humor and a contagious laugh, but mostly I enjoyed the many stories she told of a younger Ashley. I was a bit jealous of Lisa just for having a history with the woman I was in love with, but it was quite obvious to me that it was all they had: a history. In the middle of an Academy story, Ashley slid her hand on top of mine and squeezed it. Lisa and I shared a look, and Lisa's eyes showed nothing but happiness, satisfaction and maybe even relief. It was evident that she was happy for Ashley. I was relieved, too. I was relieved that there were no lingering feelings between them. There was no way I could compete with the woman sitting across from me, but that didn't mean I wouldn't fight for Ashley if I had to.

Ashley left to get Rosie from her stable so they could lead Lisa down the long and steep drive down the mountain. Lisa approached me.

"You make her very happy, keep it that way. Or I'll have no choice but to track you down…and end you."

I cowered down into the corner. She was joking, right?

She laughed. "I'm kidding, Spencer. But seriously, you better not break her heart." She patted me on the shoulder and walked back into the kitchen. The woman was scary as hell, and a little sexy, okay a lot sexy and incredibly intimidating. Did I mention that already? Thankfully I didn't have to fight her for Ashley, I just might lose.

After Ashley left with Lisa I sat down on the couch with a glass of wine and Hershey curled up next to me. I flicked through the TV channels until I found some romantic movie, but I kept dozing off. I wasn't sure how long I had been asleep when Hershey licked my face.

I blinked and peered at the screen. One of the on-screen characters was saying, "Tell her that you love her. You've got nothing to lose, and you'll always regret it if you don't."

I looked down at Hershey just as he lifted his head off my leg and looked up at me.

"What do you think, boy? You think I should tell her I love her?" He picked his head up and tilted his head at me. "Yes? No?" I laughed at myself. Dogs were so much simpler than humans. Their love was never-ending and unconditional. If Hershey could speak, he would probably say—

"I think you should tell her."

I was startled and a little embarrassed when I looked up to see Ashley leaning against the entrance to the kitchen. She dried her hands off with a dish towel before flopping it over her shoulder. Her expression was neutral and that scared the hell out of me.

"I don't know if I can," I said as I sat up.

"Are you scared?"

"I'm scared of not being loved back." I walked towards her; she didn't budge from the door frame. Once I was standing directly in front of her, her eyes changed. She was scared, too. "What if she doesn't feel the same?" I asked quietly.

"What if she does?" she replied. Her hand touched my cheek, moving my hair away from my eyes, before cradling my face. I closed my eyes and felt her lips glide over mine. Then her lips were gone and when I opened my eyes she had tears in hers. "You don't have to be scared, Spencer."

"I'm leaving in a few days."

"I know." She hung her head and I pulled her into me. I felt the wetness from her tears on my neck. "I wish you could stay. I'm not ready to let you go."

"It's going to be hard to let you go, too. But I'll be back, I promise." You should never make promises you're not sure you can keep, but I couldn't imagine not coming back to the mountain. I had to come back and I truly believed I would.

"I'm already looking forward to it," she said, giving my hand a little squeeze and smiling that gorgeous smile that could make anyone's heart flutter. "Come on. Let's go to bed."

We woke up the next morning to pitter-patter on the window. It was raining again and we decided to stay in bed all day. We watched movies, we made love, we talked, and I read some of my writing to her. I had written a lot about Ashley…

_We sat in the tall grass, her hand in mine, my head on her shoulder. The sun was rising over the lake, the birds were singing and the light breeze sweeping through the meadow made the wild flowers dance. It was a beautiful morning, about as beautiful as a morning in the mountains could be. I lifted my head and she looked down at me. Those sleepy eyes, so mesmerizing, so deep. The mountains, the sun, the birds, the flowers: none of those came close, none of those could compare to the beauty in her smile when playing with her dog, the beauty in her eyes when we made love, the beauty in her laugh when she couldn__'__t stop, the beauty her voice when she said my name._

After I finished she laid her head on my chest. "Wow, I'm pretty amazing, huh?"

"You really are, Ash." She lifted her head and smiled. "Thank you, Spence."

The next couple of days went fast, too fast. We took one last trip to the waterfall, one last ride with the horses, one last walk through the creek. And at my request, we visited the very spot where I fell. We sat down in the pathway, about five feet from the edge.

"It feels like it happened so long ago. So much has happened since then. Have I thanked you for saving me?"

"More than once, in more ways than one." She pursed her lips and smiled. I laughed.

"At least, I finally got your attention. And I finally got that kiss."

"If I remember right, you got more than just a kiss."

"Can you not think about us having sex for a second here?"

"Sorry."

"You can make up for it later."

"Now who's thinking about sex?"

"I wasn't talking about sex."

"So you're not going to have sex with me our last night together?"

"Nope. I'm going to make crazy, amazing, mind-blowing, life-changing, heart-racing, name-screaming, breathtaking, can't-get-enough-of-me, so-fucking-fantastical-it's-better-than-your-fanta sies, beautiful… love to you."

"Wow, sounds fun." I crawled onto her lap and she gripped me tight.

"Please don't move. I don't want you falling again."

"Afraid you won't be able to save me this time?"

"Yes, and now I'm really looking forward to tonight. You know, for the sex that's going to be so fucking fantastical it's better than my fantasies. I hope you don't disappoint."

"We better get back then, so I can take a nap."

* * *

With tears in my eyes, I threw the last piece of clothing in my suitcase. I was leaving in three hours. Ashley sat on the bed, her head down, her arms crossed. She looked like a little girl pouting and I smiled for the first time all morning.

"Come for a walk with me to the creek. I wanna get a picture of us there."

"Okay."

We sat on our big rock. I lifted my phone in front of us and snapped a few pictures. They were perfect, our smiling faces and just enough nature in the background. Hershey stirred beside us and jumped into the creek. He was going to play with his friend Blackie, who was walking through the low pool of water about fifty feet away.

"Wow, you haven't fallen off a cliff or into the water. Have you finally realized he isn't going to eat you?"

I laughed and playfully elbowed her. "I figured if Hershey likes him, he must be pretty cool."

Just then, the two of them started chasing each other. We both laughed when Hershey jumped on Blackie's back, sending them both falling into the water.

"I'm really going to miss this. All of it. Especially Hershey."

"He's going to miss you, too."

"And what about you?"

"Eh, maybe just a little."

"Just a little?" I questioned as I wiped the fallen tear from her cheek.

"Okay, maybe a lot." She took a hold of my hand and kissed it before holding it in both of hers. "What's going to happen, Spencer? What are we going to do?"

We were finally about to have the conversation we had both been putting off for so long. Just the thought of leaving created a big lump in my throat. I didn't know how I was going to talk about it with her.

"I don't know, Ashley." And I didn't know. I had no idea what was going to happen next. I knew I loved her. And I knew she loved me. We didn't have to say the words. Saying the words would make leaving even harder.

"I want to be with you. I do. But I have my life in Chicago. I'm feeling more like myself than I have in a very long time. The words are back and better than ever. I have to go back home. I have to go back to my job. I don't know what to do, or say. I know I can't have you and Chicago. Can I just say that being here the last two months has been the best time I've ever had and I promise you I will be back? I don't know when or how, but I will." The tears were flowing down my cheeks, fast and consistent. I couldn't stop them even if I tried. I wiped them with my sleeve over and over again. Ashley sat emotionless, staring off into the woods. "Say something please," I begged her.

"There's nothing left to say. You have your life in Chicago and I have mine here. All we can do is try to stay in touch and hope someday we'll see each other again." She stood up and walked off the rock and onto land. I followed close behind her.

"Ashley?" I called out to her, but she kept walking. "Ashley?" She stopped finally and turned around just as I caught up. "Please, please don't do this. What did you expect me to say?"

"Exactly what you said. It was just harder actually hearing you say it. I'm not angry with you or your decision, Spencer. I understand completely. It's just… none of this makes sense."

"None of what makes sense?"

"You and me. I used to think it was fate that we met. Now, I just don't know. Why would fate bring us together if we can't actually be together?"

"Fate might have brought us together, Ashley. We have to do the rest. And right now, I just know I have to go home. I don't know what the future holds for us. But I do think that we have a future. I want a future with you."

She backed up and leaned against a tree. Her head fell back and she rubbed her watery eyes.

"Maybe fate just brought us together so that we would find happiness again. And then we'd know that it still exists and we could finally move on. Maybe we were just meant to be together now, not forever. Just long enough to help each other."

"You really believe that, Ashley?"

She shrugged. "I don't know what to believe. You're leaving and I don't know if I'm ever going to see you again. It sucks."

I moved towards her and placed my hands on her face, caressing it softly. I leaned in and pressed my lips against hers. She didn't respond at first, and then her hands landed on my hips and she pulled me into her. I knew this would be our last kiss and I put everything I had into it. We both let the passion take over, only breaking away to catch our breath before reconnecting in another desperate, all-consuming kiss. I pulled away once again when I felt something wet fall on my cheek and could taste the salt from her tears. She had finally let go. I held her tight as she cried into my shoulder.

"Do you still believe that we, that this, isn't forever?" I asked her and kissed the side of her head.

She lifted her head off of my shoulder. Her dark brown eyes were sad and filled with more tears.

"I love you, Spencer."

The lump in my throat grew larger and nearly choked me. In an instant, my eyes were full of tears again. Besides my family, Autumn had been the only one to say those words to me—and she had lied. Hearing them from Ashley was unsurprisingly overwhelming. I knew she wasn't lying and that made it all the more wonderful, but also terrifying.

"I love… you…too," I don't know how I got the words out. It was harder than I thought it would be. And, suddenly, I wished I had said them sooner. I wished I hadn't waited until it was time to say goodbye. The words didn't seem as meaningful now that I was about to leave her.

* * *

My car crept down the steep and narrow dirt road. Ashley was ahead on Rosie as they lead me down. It wasn't dark, but the last time I had decided to go into town in daylight hadn't ended well, and Ashley had to rescue me again. If there was one thing I wouldn't miss about the mountain, it was this damn road.

Hershey sat beside me in the car and I was so tempted to take him with me, but I knew Ashley would need him when I was gone. He laid he head on my leg and I stroked his back. Once we reached the main road, I pulled to the side and got out of the car. Hershey followed and I kneeled down and gave him a big hug. "You be a good boy and take care of your momma, okay?" I barely got the words out, choking on every one of them. He licked my cheek and I took that as a yes.

As I turned around, Ashley was dismounting the horse. She stood there for a moment before turning around. I didn't know what to say anymore, and I don't think she did either. When she finally faced me I could see she was holding in her emotions, she was trying not to cry. I wished I was as strong as she was. I pulled her into my arms and held her tight. I took in that moment, her smell, her warm breath on my neck, the way her body fit perfectly against mine, and I wished I could freeze time and hold her for hours and then go back to that moment anytime I missed her. I never wanted to forget the way she felt inside of my arms.

I finally pulled away. I had to or I never would. She quickly pulled me back to her and kissed me. It was a quick kiss, a goodbye kiss, I suppose, and before I could even respond, she was already walking back to Rosie. I closed my eyes and sighed before walking back to my car. I could barely see them through the rear-view mirror; my eyes were full of tears. I already missed them like crazy, but I knew I would see them again. Nothing could keep me away from this mountain. Nothing could keep me from Ashley.

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**_I will try to get the ending to you as soon as possible. Thanks for reading!_**


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